03 The Revolution
by brentus
Summary: Sides will be chosen and lines will be crossed as Chuck takes on Serena for the title of royalty at Constance/St. Jude's.  Blood will be shed, reputations will be shot, and the final result is so heinous, it could only happen on the Upper East Side.
1. Curiouser and Curiouser

**Curiouser and Curiouser**

Dan Humphrey was the kind of guy who would like to believe that very few things in the world could surprise him. Hs deep understanding of the world around him made him the kind of person who always knew what to expect. It came without saying, then, that when Vanessa Abrams, his former BFF, waved the white flag and extended an olive branch, Dan was completely flabbergasted.

As long as he had known her, Vanessa had never admitted defeat ever. Whenever Vanessa convinced herself of something, it was impossible to change her mind. Even when overwhelming amounts of evidence stacked against her, Vanessa was always certain she was correct. Hearing her say the words, "I'm sorry, Dan, I was wrong" nearly gave Dan a heart attack. Vanessa conceded? To Dan? About Nate?

Dan watched carefully as Vanessa and Nate chatted civilly. Obviously Nate didn't know Vanessa well enough to be suspicious. Dan was skeptical, so he remained quiet hoping that Vanessa might let her facade slip for a moment and then he could see her true objective. He had to hand it to her: whatever game she was playing, she was doing a damn good job.

It was Monday, though. There would be a whole week worth of lunches for Dan to snoop out Vanessa's true motives. A tiny part of Dan felt guilty that he was so paranoid about Vanessa. Then he remembered the verbal barrage she unleashed on him the previous week and his guilt was alleviated. He was right to be suspicious. This was Vanessa after all.

She must have noticed that Dan was silent. She looked at him and arched an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong?" she asked conversationally.

Dan smirked subtly.

"I'm just admiring the wonder that is Vanessa Abrams descending from her ivory tower to eat lunch with us common yokels," Dan retorted, "It's quite a spectacle."

Vanessa pursed her lips. She looked down.

"Look, Dan, I said I was sorry. I admitted that I was wrong. Frankly, I don't know what else you want from me."

"I don't want anything from you, Vanessa. That's the point. After last week, I'm surprised you even came to see me."

"We have a long history," she pointed out, "Should we really let it go because of one misunderstanding?"

"It's not one misunderstanding," Dan corrected her, "It's years' worth of abuse, V. You can't expect me to get over it so easily."

"I'm not. I just want a chance to make amends. Everyone deserves them, don't you think? What about you, Nate?"

Dan glanced at Nate. He could tell that a part of Nate agreed with what Vanessa was saying.

"We all make mistakes," he stated, "To make a mistake is human, right?"

Dan had to admit that Nate had a good point. He just felt very uncomfortable with Vanessa's new sense of serenity. It was eerie.

"I suppose so. You're on probation, though," he warned her.

Dan couldn't tell if he was joking or not. Vanessa smiled.

"I'll take what I can get. So, Nate, do you know that blonde girl that started going to school last week?"

Nate glanced over. Dan noticed that they were looking at a beautiful blonde girl sitting with Jenny, Blair, and Chuck. Dan had no idea what her name was. He didn't care either. Jenny looked like she desperately wanted to be somewhere else. Dan wondered if he should go over and say something.

"No," Nate answered, "I guess she's a new friend of Blair and Chuck's."

"Yeah," Vanessa agreed, "I heard a few things about her. Her name is Serena van der Woodsen. Supposedly she used to go here over a year ago. Sounds like she was quite the slut back then."

"How do you know that?" Dan asked.

"I work at the school paper, Dan. I hear everything. Well, I hope she has better luck than other members of Blair and Chuck's little group. Rumour has it Chuck does some pretty mean things to new members."

"Mean things? Like what?" Dan demanded.

"I'm not entirely sure. They're rumours, you know? I heard he had sex with a girl once and filmed the whole thing. Could you imagine that?"

Nate cleared his throat. Dan fixed his gaze on Vanessa.

"Are you joking?"

"I could be wrong. I don't know first hand-"

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he snapped, "I have to go over there right now."

Dan rose to his feet. When he looked over, he noticed that Jenny was getting up and walking away. It wasn't as though she was sneaking off, she simply got to her feet and left the group.

"Looks like you don't need to," Vanessa commented.

Dan was torn. He wanted to go over and say something, but he felt that he was beginning to understand Chuck Bass better. He couldn't hear anything Dan said. If anything, voicing his concerns might make Chuck treat Jenny with more cruelty. Dan sighed as he sat down.

"I guess I'll have to settle for that," he muttered.

"So, Nate," Vanessa continued, "Tell me more about yourself."


	2. Sarah

**Sarah**

Jenny walked down the street. She liked having Serena around. Serena kept Chuck at bay, so Jenny was free to do what she pleased. Today she was meeting her friend, Sara, for lunch a few blocks away from the school.

She was so glad to have met Sarah. She was a short, thing girl, with long brown hair. She was kind and sweet, and she genuinely seemed interested in the problems Jenny was facing at school. Jenny didn't know that older kids could actually be kind. Her experience with them so far had left her less than impressed. Jenny couldn't believe her luck that she met someone like Sarah by chance at the park. She spotted Sarah and waved at her.

"Hi, Sarah!"

She saw Jenny. She smiled and returned the wave.

"Hi, Jenny! How are you?" she asked as she walked over.

She gave Jenny a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm okay. I'm surprised that Chuck let me walk away like that. Whatever spell Serena has him under, it's working."

"That's good. From what you tell me, this Chuck character isn't one to be disobeyed. It's a good thing this Serena girl is there."

Jenny nodded.

"So, how was the rest of your weekend?" Jenny wondered.

"It was fine. I got in touch with an old friend from school," she answered.

"That's good. How did that go?"

"Oh, a lot better than I thought it would. We haven't spoken in a long time," she commented, "He actually had good news for me."

A strange smile spread across Sarah's face. Jenny couldn't help but think maybe she liked this friend.

"Sarah?"

Sarah was smiling to herself now. Jenny could tell she was fantasizing about something. Jenny grinned to herself and chuckled lightly.

"Earth to Sarah," she teased.

Sarah focused on Jenny.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, "I was distracted..."

"I can tell. So, this old friend... What's he like?"

"Oh, it's nothing like that," Sarah insisted, her face turning red.

"Come on. You like him, I can tell-"

"It's not like that!" Sarah snapped viciously.

Jenny stopped smiling. This was a side of Sarah that she hadn't seen yet. Sarah looked like a wild animal threatening to attack. Jenny was almost scared.

"I'm sorry-"

"No, I am," Sarah apologized quickly, "I really am sorry. This boy and I... we have a long and complicated past. I just don't really know what to make of his call."

"He called you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that's good, right? I mean, it's a sign that he's reaching out to you."

"Maybe," she mused, "Anyway, enough about me. Tell me more about your friends."

"You seem to be awfully interested in my life and my friends," Jenny commented.

She had noticed it before. At first it hadn't bothered her because it was nice to have someone pay attention. Now she was beginning to find it odd that someone so much older than her was basically confiding in her. Either Sarah was a psycho stalker, or she had even less friends than Jenny. Either way, she was better than Vanessa.

"I don't mean this to sound bad, but I feel sorry for you, Jenny," Sarah told her.

"Sorry for me?"

"I went to school with kids like Blair and Chuck before," Sarah explained, "They weren't very nice to me. I loved them and treated them like friends, but that was never good enough for them. I guess I just hoped that if I find a way to help you stand your own with them, I'll feel like my suffering won't have been in vain."

Jenny smiled and nodded. She could understand that. While Jenny wasn't nearly as devoted to Blair and Chuck as Sarah seemed to have been to her friends, she could understand the pain of being mistreated. No one deserved it. Seeing as Jenny was going to be a part of that group for a long time coming, she supposed she could use some help fighting the shark infested water of the senior class.

"Well, thank you. That's very sweet."

"You're welcome, Jenny."

"So, you got any more good advice for a girl like me?"


	3. Psycho

**Psycho**

Chuck sat in his suite, sipping a glass of single malt whiskey. It had been three days since he called Georgina Sparks. He knew right off the bat that it was a risky idea. After all, Georgina Sparks was quite literally the craziest person Chuck knew, and he knew people who had been committed.

He felt uneasy about the situation. He had no intention of ever contacting Georgina again, but then Serena showed up. If she thought she could come back and blackmail Chuck Bass without repercussions, she was wrong. It was up to Chuck to prove to her just how mistaken she was. Georgina would help him accomplish that. If anyone would want to bring down Serena van der Woodsen, it was Georgina Sparks.

Chuck pulled out his phone and called Georgina. Her phone rang once, then it rolled over to voicemail. She was avoiding his call? Big mistake.

"I thought you understood how this works," he snapped, "Unless you want me to send the cops in your direction, I suggest you start cooperating."

He hung up and then texted her. He advised her that he would be calling again and that she had better answer. There was no response. Chuck took this as her agreeing to those terms. He called her again.

"Hello?"

"What exactly do you mean by screening me?" he demanded.

"I couldn't answer right away," she explained in a low tone, "Now really isn't a good time..."

"I don't care if you're undergoing surgery. I want an update," he ordered.

"Hey, Sarah, I'm going to go get us some hot dogs, okay?" a young voice called on Georgina's end.

That voice... Chuck knew that voice! He'd listened to it babble on all night a few weeks ago. It was Jenny Humphrey.

"What are you doing with-"

"Okay!" Georgina replied happily.

"Why does Jenny Humphrey think your name is Sarah?"

"I swear, I just got back into town," Georgina insisted desperately, "I knew that if I announced that Georgina was back, you wouldn't leave me alone."

"True. Though, you did try to kill me. I think I sufficient cause to seek you out."

"It was an accident, Chuck. You know that!"

"Do I?"

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. Anyway, I began calling myself Sarah and who should I meet last week, but Jenny Humphrey," she continued.

Chuck felt uneasy by this. Georgina meeting someone from Chuck's inner circle was no mistake. Not if Georgina was involved, anyway.

"And you just decided to become her bff?"

"She mentioned that she knew a girl named Serena and I knew it had to be our girl..."

"And you just decided, what? To use Jenny to get back at us all?"

"No, it isn't like that, Chuck. I just wanted a friend-"

"A friend who just happens to be one of my friends?"

"Really, you and Jenny are friends? It doesn't really sound like-"

"Enough!" Chuck growled, "You only get one warning. Stay away from Jenny Humphrey. If I even get a hint that you're using her to get the dirt on us, I will turn you over to the police. Think about that before you go plotting your revenge."

He hung up before she could say anything.

So, Georgina was back and she was working against him? It seemed like a natural choice to pick Jenny Humphrey. She was someone who had no real ties to him and she had been hurt by him. But how did she know to go after her? Who would have tipped her off to such a good source?

Blair absolutely hated Georgina. Chuck smiled to himself. He often imagined Blair wrestling Georgina to the ground. Sometimes it turned erotic. Other times, it just went violent. Either way, Blair always came out on top. She loved being on top...

Serena, though stupid, would never turn to Georgina. Georgina and Serena were no longer friends. If anything, Georgina was probably the reason Serena was working so hard at redemption. The crazy things they had done together when they were younger. Again, Chuck smiled. As much as he despised Serena at the moment, there was always a soft spot in his heart for the old Serena...

Serena had always been something of a wild child, even before she met Georgina. Chuck always suspected this was rooted deep in her father issues. Mr. van der Woodsen, whom Chuck had never actually met, abandoned Serena, her mother, and her older brother, Erik, when Serena was four. She hadn't seen him since. The result was a young woman always fighting for attention. And did she ever receive it!

Serena had always been beautiful, Chuck knew this. It wasn't until late freshmen year, though, that she became sexy. She grew several inches taller and her breasts developed. Chuck spent many hours that year studying her, watching her. He wanted to taste her, to caress her. He had to have her, but she didn't pay him any attention. Why would she when other boys at school noticed her, including the original bad boy himself, Carter Baizen.

Carter was a senior when Chuck and Serena were freshmen. He didn't pay Serena any attention before she blossomed, but after that, he ruthless pursued her. She loved it, too. It was in her eyes. Carter would touch her and hold her all the time. He wasn't shy about his intentions. Erik noticed this, too, but it's hard for big brother to compete with young lust. Serena eventually lost her virginity to Carter on the night of his prom. The rest, as they say, is history.

From sexual conquest to shock and scandal, Serena only continued to change. Sophomore year brought with it Georgina Sparks, a short girl, with long brown hair, and big, wide eyes. The naive saw hopefulness. Chuck saw insanity. Georgina had a short temper and a tendency to react violently. She was extremely disrespectful of her peers and authorities. Chuck may not have respected his teachers, but he seldom outright disrespected them in public. After all, he was Chuck Bass and he needed to protect that name. Perhaps if Georgina's parents cared more about their name, they might have done something to stop their daughter sooner. Instead, her director father and actress mother spent most of their time out of the city, and out of Georgina's way.

Georgina and Serena clicked. It was probably a nice change for Serena to have someone more wild and outgoing. Even at a young age, Blair was conservative and restricted. Georgina would do whatever came to mind, regardless of what the consequences were. This thrilled Serena and the two were inseparable, though she always maintained that Blair was her best friend.

That summer, Georgina and Serena threw a party. Georgina was heavily into drugs, everyone knew it. It was always suspected that Serena was too, but she insisted she never did them. At her party, Georgina was handing out little brown envelopes like they were candy. Tiny pills were inside them. Chuck was pretty sure they were ecstasy, but suspected they could be something much worse. At any rate, Georgina managed to convince him to take some.

Instantly he felt amazing and before he knew it, he was having sex with Georgina Sparks. When he came to, Georgina was laughing. Chuck looked down at her.

"What?"

"You just called out... Never mind."

"What? What did I call out?"

"No one," she insisted, "Here, have some more."

Chuck awoke two days later in a hospital. Turned out, Georgina kept feeding him drugs until he overdosed. Thankfully, he was rushed to the hospital.

His friends were worried about him. His parents were annoyed with his carelessness. People were reluctant to identify Georgina as the culprit, because then they would have to confess to being at the party, and possibly to having taken the drugs themselves. On the surface, Georgina got away with it.

This was the Upper East Side, though, where blood is thicker than water. Chuck's family had much deeper routes than the nouveau-riche Sparkses. Not wanting to draw anymore attention to anyone than necessary, a private meeting was held. In that meeting, Chuck confessed to being at the party and taking the drugs. When confronted, a few other students also admitted that it was Georgina who had given them the drugs. She insisted that it wasn't her idea, it was Serena's. Serena denied it. Chuck had always wondered if this was a lie. Was this the reason Georgina hated her so much? Whatever the case, Georgina was found guilty and asked to leave Constance quietly. In exchange, the police needn't be involved That was the last time Chuck saw Georgina Sparks.

And now she was in his life again... He was a fool to think he could trust her. She was going to find a way to ruin him, and he knew it. He just had to find a way to stop her. Jenny was his ace in the hole He could use Jenny Humphrey to destroy Georgina Sparks and end Serena van der Woodsen. He just needed to play his cards right...


	4. Dirty Deeds

**Dirty Deeds**

Vanessa sat on Dan's bed. He was showering. Dan, Nate, and she were supposed to be going to a foreign film festival that night. Vanessa was surprised that Nate had agreed to go. He didn't seem like the foreign film type to her. Then again, she was rapidly learning that Nate was nothing like the rest of his friends. That didn't mean she liked him, though. It just mean she found him less contemptible.

Dan was excited, though. He wouldn't stop gushing to Vanessa how much fun they were going to have. Fun? Didn't Dan know that three was a crowd? There was a knock at Dan's door. She awkwardly got up and walked over to open it. There was Jenny... and a short girl that Vanessa had never met before.

"Can you tell Dan that my friend Sarah and I went out?" she asked.

"Sure."

"Hi," the girl spoke up, "My name is Sarah."

Vanessa froze. That voice. It sounded just like Georgina!

Last Friday, Vanessa got the surprise of her life. She was in the newspaper office at school when the phone rang. She answered it and the voice on the other end changed everything for her.

"Hello?"

"Is this the editor of the school newspaper?" a sweet voice asked.

"Yes."

"Good. My name is Georgina."

"Um, hi. What can I do for you?"

"I believe you have students at your school named Chuck Bass, Blair Waldorf, Nate Archibald, and Serena van der Woodsen. Am I right?"

Vanessa scoffed.

"Yes. Let me guess, you want me to run some story about what model students they are, don't you?"

There was a brief pause.

"Do you not like them?"

"I hardly know them, except that I always hear about how amazing they are. They don't seem to be like that to me, but then again, I don't have parents pumping money into my already over-inflated reputation."

There was another pause followed by a giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"This is just my luck," she answered, "This will go a lot easier, actually, if you don't like them."

"What will?"

"I have a history with those three and I've been dying to find a way to get back at them."

"Get back at them?"

"Let's just say we have unsettled business. I have a great idea to ruin their lives, but I can't do it alone. I need resources."

Vanessa's insides tightened. While she didn't like Blair or her cohorts, she wasn't sure she wanted to hurt them.

"I don't think I can help you-"

"I just need access to the school's database. I need the cellphone number of every student in your school."

"Why?"

"I'm working on a website that will have some very interesting information on my old friends. I want to make sure everyone has access to the site."

"Why not send out an email?"

"Email is so 90s," Georgina replied, "Texting is the way to go."

"What kind of website?"

"A news website, actually."

"And by news you mean gossip?"

"Maybe."

"Look, I'd love to help you, but I don't think-"

"Think about it. Everyone bows down to them and treats them like they're royalty. They're not. They're evil and horrible and they deserve to be punished!"

There was a sense of fanaticism in her voice. It made Vanessa even more reluctant.

"I can't-"

"Surely you know someone who is suffering because of them. Blair and Chuck are known for the path of misery they leave."

Vanessa thought of Jenny. She was suffering because of them.

"And if not, wouldn't it be great if the spell they hold over everyone was destroyed?"

She thought of Dan. It would be great if Dan could see them for who they really were...

"You just need access to the database?"

"Yes. Just send me the numbers of everyone."

"... Okay..."

"Actually, if you're any good with building a website, I could use the help."

Vanessa thought about this. She did have the resources.

"... Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It's a great idea. By the way, what's your name?"

Since then, Vanessa had been working with Georgina. Georgina had asked if there was anyone Vanessa could think of who was in their circle who might talk. Vanessa wanted to say Jenny, but she refrained. She didn't want Jenny getting involved. Now, Jenny was with her and she was calling herself Sarah. What was going on? Dan opened the door.

"You ready? I thought we'd go soon."

Vanessa suddenly felt ill. She shook her head.

"I don't think I can go," she muttered.

"What? Why not?"

"I feel sick," she retorted as she got up and left.

"V! Hey, V!" Dan called.

She began heading out, but he grabbed her arm.

"What is this? You were excited to go before-"

"No, Dan, I was never excited," she answered.

"So, that's it? That's your big attempt to get to know Nate?"

"It's not Nate-"

"Just face it, Vanessa, you don't like him because he's from the Upper East Side-"

"I said this doesn't have anything to do with Nate!" she snapped as she walked out.

It was true. She suddenly found herself caring less if Dan and Nate were together. She couldn't let Jenny spend time with a complete stranger, especially a malicious one with a connection to Blair and Chuck.

As she walked out the door, she remembered an encounter with Blair last week. She'd gone to Blair at the time, hoping to get dirt on Nate. Turns out Nate was more or less a good guy. The only real skeleton in his closet was his parents' secret separation and the fact that he lost his virginity to Serena van der Woodsen, and then she left town. Nate never knew why. How Blair even knew this was beyond Vanessa, but she didn't care. It was hardly enough to demonize him. Blair didn't seem interested, either. She was more interested in Serena. Who wasn't, these days? As reserved as she was, even Vanessa knew everyone was talking about Serena. Where had she gone? Why did she leave? Why was she back?

Vanessa could care less about Serena. She wanted Nate's head on a platter, but Blair couldn't be bothered. Vanessa would have to do it alone...

Then Georgina came, and now Georgina knew Jenny. If Blair or Chuck ever found out Jenny was spending time with Georgina, it would be over. Especially if they ever found out what Vanessa and Georgina were working on. In a short few days, the site would be complete, then everyone would know Blair, Chuck, and Serena's dirty history. Georgina insisted she only needed a few more days to get the information she needed. Vanessa had no idea she meant using Jenny. Vanessa sighed, hoping she could find a way to get Jenny out. She needed to... For Dan.


	5. Leverage

**Leverage**

Blair sat on her bed thinking to herself. Chuck still hadn't explained what was going on with Serena. It was bothering her. How could Serena know, but not her? Serena didn't care for Chuck the way Blair did. This was obvious; if she did, she wouldn't be blackmailing him. Why didn't Chuck realize he could trust her? Why didn't he confide in her? Did he not know how much she loved him?

There was a knock at the door. Ethan poked his overly tanned face in and smiled brilliantly.

"Blair, there is a sexy young man here to see you. If you're not seeing him, get his number!"

"Get out!" she shrieked.

He stepped back and gawked at Chuck as he entered her room. Chuck cast a coy glance at Ethan.

"Privacy, please."

Ethan giggled, winked at Blair, and closed the door. Blair rolled her eyes. Ethan had no shame.

"So, that's Ethan, is it?"

"What are you doing here?" she asked crossly.

It was just like Chuck to come over unannounced, especially after ignoring her for the better part of a week.

"I thought you might want to hear the good news in person."

"What? Serena had an aneurism and drowned in a bowl of New England clam chowder?"

"Not quite, but she might when I'm done with her."

A wicked smile spread across his face. Blair felt the faintest grin forming on hers.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever wondered why Serena left last year?"

"I stopped caring the moment she was gone," Blair retorted.

"Right," Chuck scoffed, "Even though it meant you were no longer in her shadow, a part of you missed her and felt scorned that she left without telling you why."

"So what?" Blair shot, "That part of me is dead and gone."

"Well, I'm here to tell you why. I never planned on telling you, but the things have changed."

Chuck knew why Serena had left and he hadn't told her? How was it that two people who hardly spent any time together knew such intimate details of each others' lives, while Blair, who was friends with both of them, knew nothing? This was getting outrageous!

"You know why she left?" Blair asked skeptically, hoping she could mask her annoyance.

"Yes, and it's no use playing it cool, Waldorf. I know you're upset."

Blair crossed her arms.

"Why would I be?"

Chuck smirked.

"Have it your way. Serena left last year because of something she had done... or someone she had done."

"That's her big secret? She had sex with someone? Please, this is Serena-"

"No interruptions," Chuck snapped, "No, she didn't just just have sex with someone. She had sex with someone who couldn't afford to have his name associated with her in that manner."

"Who?"

"Mr. Henshaw."

"My Advanced European Studies professor?" Blair clarified.

"Just the man. Well, seems that even though he's a professor, he's not that bright."

"What do you mean?"

"They didn't use a condom."

"How do you know?"

Chuck raised an eyebrow. What did...? No! No! That was impossible! Chuck grinned smugly.

"No way..." Blair uttered.

Chuck nodded.

"Serena got knocked up."

"Oh my, God! Is that why she left?"

"It is. When I found out, I decided that it was time for Serena to take a vacation. She was getting to close to Nate, and neither one of us wanted her in his life. She was a train wreck."

"So, you told her to get out of town in exchange for your silence?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

"So, why are you telling me now?"

"Because, the story just got better and this new revelation gives me just the tools I need to get rid of Serena once and for all."

"What?"

"Looks like Serena couldn't go through with it."

"With what?"

Again, Chuck raised his eyebrow. What...?

"You mean... She had the baby?"

"She was originally going to get an abortion," Chuck confirmed, "But it looks like she didn't have the heart to do it."

"Then, that means-"

"Somewhere in Europe, there is a baby Serena van der Woodsen who doesn't know who his mother is."

Blair sat down. This was amazing. It wasn't all that surprising. This was Serena, after all, but still!

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to give her a chance to slink away unnoticed."

Blair stood up.

"This! What is this?"

"What?"

"You're Chuck Bass! Since when are you so charitable? Does this have to do with whatever it is Serena knows-"

"Drop it," he growled darkly, "I warned you to stay out of it."

"What? What is it? It's me, Chuck. You can trust me!"

"It's none of your damn business. Unless you want to be on the same list as Serena, I suggest you keep your mouth shut!" he barked.

She sat down, fear in her eyes. Chuck was vicious. He was beyond his normal self. This was a darkness she'd never seen in him.

"I understand," she promised in a near whisper.

Chuck stared at her before reaching behind her head and pulling her to him. He began kissing her passionately. At first, she was going to pull away. She was still frightened and he was hurting her. Chuck must have sensed her reluctance; he grew more intense. He was holding her in his powerful arms. She couldn't free herself.

He threw her on the bed and began pulling off her clothes. She writhed playfully. He pinned her down, determination rampant in his eyes. She stared back submissively. Chuck pulled her hair as he kissed her again. She wanted to resist, she wanted to pull away, but she couldn't. When it came to Chuck Bass, she was powerless.


	6. One Small Step

**One Small Step**

Dan watched as Nate practically attacked his food. He was glad to see that Nate genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Oh my God," he groaned, "This is so good!"

Dan chuckled. It was quite the surprise to learn that Nate had never had Thai food before. Dan basically lived on Thai food. He loved it. Even when other foods were available, he was always drawn to Thai. It was his duty as Nate's friend to introduce him to the culinary concoction that was Thai food.

Tonight's masterpiece was bami mu daeng.

"This is amazing!" Nate gushed, "How is it I've never had Thai food before?

"You tell me. Even someone as pedestrian as Dan Humphrey has had Thai food. My father isn't exactly a worldly scholar."

Nate's eyes went stern.

"Hey, don't say that," he insisted, "You're fine the way you are."

"Better than you," Dan teased, "Never had Thai... Talk about sheltered."

Nate grinned as he continued eating.

"So, any word from Vanessa yet?"

"No. She's probably still sick."

Two days ago, Vanessa walked out on Dan in a not-so-surprising fit. She said she had something she needed to take care of, but Dan was pretty sure she still wasn't comfortable with him being friends with Nate. Dan would have loved to pretend her cared, but frankly he was growing tired of Vanessa's mood swings. The last two nights, Dan and Nate had been going to the foreign film festival alone. He wasn't sure why, but he told Nate that Vanessa was sick. While he was sure Nate wouldn't care if Vanessa was being, well, Vanessa, he didn't want Nate to think he was anything like her. He wasn't, after all. He was so much cooler..

"That's weird. I saw her at school. She can't be that sick. You think maybe she's avoiding us?"

"No," Dan denied quickly, "She wouldn't-"

"Maybe it's just her amnesia," Nate suggested.

"Amnesia?"

"Yeah. 'Cause, when I went to talk to her, she seemed to forget being sick. All she could remember was a big story she had to work on that night."

"Oh."

"Yeah. In fact, when I asked her if she was feeling better, she seemed confused for a moment."

"That's... weird.

"Is it?"

"Yeah..."

"Dan, why did you lie to me?"

"I don't know," he confessed as he sighed and put his head into his hands, "I felt bad. I know you were making a real effort and I didn't want you think you were wasting your time. It really means a lot that you tried being her friend, especially given how rude she's been to you."

"It's fine, Dan," Nate assured him, "I'm starting to get to know her better and... this is just who she is."

"But it's not right," Dan muttered, "She shouldn't treat you like that."

"Give her time. She'll come around."

"You think?"

Nate shrugged.

"You okay if she doesn't?"

Dan nodded.

"Of course."

"Well, good. You know what, though? Let's not worry about that until it happens. You gonna eat your food or can I have that?"

Dan beamed at Nate.

"Go for it."

Dan loved that he was able to introduce Nate to something new. It meant a lot that this was something they would always share.

"Thai food is the best food I've ever had," Nate commented, "I wish every meal consisted of it."

"Well, you're in the honeymoon phase," Dan informed him, "Soon, you'll have so much you'll hate it. Then you'll learn to have it in moderation. Or not. If you go down that path, we can be Thai food addicts together."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, sure," Dan laughed.

Nate approached the ticket window.

"Two, please."

He handed the ticket lady the money for the tickets and passed Dan his.

"You know I could have paid for myself, right?" Dan asked.

Nate looked at him.

"Yeah, so?"

"I just... I have money, Nate. I don't need you to pay for me."

"Consider it a thank you."

"For what?"

"For introducing me to the world of Thai food."

As uncomfortable as it secretly made Dan, he was beginning to learn just how difficult it was to argue with Nate. He broke into a wry smile.

"Fine, but I'm getting my own concession-"

"Put your wallet away, Humphrey. Your money is no good here."

Dan sighed and reluctantly put his wallet away. It was no use arguing with Nate, but he would find the time to tell him later how he felt about this particular matter.

Dan sat frozen. He didn't mean for it to happen, it just did... He swallowed hard and tried to focus on the movie. Nate was still sitting beside him, so it couldn't have been that bad, right? Oh, God, why did he do it? Why?

Just a few moments ago, he put his arm on the arm rest. Instinctively, he reached down and grabbed Nate's hand. They must have held hands for a good ten seconds before Nate realized what they were doing and pulled away. He didn't say anything, but Dan could tell from the pointed silence that Nate was not okay with it.

The thing that bothered Dan was that it didn't feel weird. He could have almost sworn that Nate wanted him to. After all, they had been spending so much time together lately. Between movies and dinner, they'd been going on dates pretty much every night of the week. Sure, Nate hadn't given the slightest indication that he thought anything of it, but... Dan could have sworn there was something there. That was the only reason he even thought to hold Nate's hand. He wouldn't have otherwise. It wasn't like he was... He wasn't... Was he?

Dan got up and headed out of the cinema.

Air had never tasted so good. Dan had spent the better half of the last five minutes drowning in his own shame. He needed the fresh air to clear his mind. Nate came running out after him.

"Dan, what the hell was that?" he demanded.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what that was," he insisted, "It was just... habit."

"Pretty weird habit," Nate commented.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Nate looked into Dan's eyes. He didn't say anything. Dan wasn't too surprised. Nate had been known for being a man of few words.

"Well, I should probably go home," he muttered as he finally looked away, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, absolutely. Bye."

Dan watched as Nate turned and walked away. A huge wave of despair overcame him and suddenly everything became clear to him. He didn't just care about Nate as a friend... It was something he'd fought to hide from himself, and he finally saw the truth. Dan was in love with Nate Archibald. He was the only person Dan had ever loved. Dan Humphrey was gay.


	7. One Giant Leap

**One Giant Leap**

The noise on the streets tried valiantly to drown out the thoughts that swam around Nate Archibald's head. As usual, he was overwhelmed by confusion and had no one to talk to.

Was Dan trying to make a move on him? He said he wasn't, but Nate wasn't so sure. Dan was different, Nate knew this, but he wasn't...? Not Dan, right?

No, of course not. Dan was just different. Nate had spent so much time hanging with people like Chuck Bass and Charlie Dern from the lacrosse team. They were promiscuous womanizers who weren't afraid to show it. Nate just wasn't used to guys who were like Dan.

Where Chuck lacked morals, Dan had a clearly defined set. It was pretty unusual for a guy his age to be so put together, but that didn't mean anything, right? It was just a sign of maturity. There was nothing wrong with maturity. If anything, Dan's level of sophistication was one of the things Nate liked most about him-

But that was it, right? Dan was just a much different person than Chuck or Charlie... Chuck and Charlie? Nate had never noticed how similar their names were before...

But that wasn't the point either! The point was that Dan was just a really good guy. Guys could be good without being... you know. It was just a mistake, Nate was sure of it. Dan didn't mean to, because Dan didn't feel that way about Nate...

Not that Nate hadn't wondered about that himself. He thought it was weird that they spent so much time together, just the two of them. But that was just because they got along better than anyone else. Dan didn't have any other friends than Vanessa and Nate was beginning to hate Chuck Bass. It was merely because of circumstance that Nate and Dan had become friends... And the only reason they stayed friends was because they had so much in common.

After all, they both... went to St. Jude's. That was something. And Dan was starting to love Spaghetti Westerns just as much as Nate did. And Nate was starting to love foreign films and Thai food as much as Dan did... But it was because he genuinely liked them. What wasn't to love about Thai food? And, sure, he didn't understand what was going on half the time in foreign films, but he didn't mind... It was nice to just spend time with Dan-

Because Dan opened him up to new things. Nate had to admit that he'd led such a sheltered life before. He hadn't ventured out much past the world of Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf. Sure, their families sometimes vacationed in the tropics, and that one summer he spent in Greece, but that was different. That was traveling. He'd spent so much time sightseeing that he didn't really have a chance to take in the culture. Dan was pretty much his own personal encyclopedia. It was nice to learn about things from someone else's point of view. And Dan had a pretty solid point of view-

Because he was a good student. Dan was studious. It made perfect sense that he would have so much insight and knowledge on the rest of the world. Even without school, though, Dan was a wise beyond his years. After his mother's death, Dan had no choice. He had to grow up. The fact that he did lent to Dan's wisdom. And he didn't complain about it or play the martyr. Dan acted as if it there was no other choice. Nate had no idea how he would have handled the situation. If Jenny had been his sister, she might have turned out differently... It really was a testament to Dan's character how much he devoted himself to Jenny. It was one of the things he loved most about-

Okay, so, maybe Nate cared about Dan, but it was just because he felt sorry for the guy. Dan had nothing: his mother was dead, his father was a basketcase, his sister was wandering into the shark-infested waters of high school, and his best friend was a psycho bitch. Nate felt sorry for Dan, that was it. He didn't _love _Dan, he just felt bad for him. Who wouldn't? With everything that Dan had been through, who wouldn't want to show him a better side of the world? Who wouldn't want him to have some fun? It was great watching Dan actually enjoy himself. He had a smile that could light up the world-

But that was just because...

Nate groaned as he sat up and rubbed his temples.

What was going on? Was he in love with Dan? He wasn't too sure anymore. A big part of him said no, but that part was beginning to be drowned out by something else that was in his head. It was the voice that told him that Dan was everything that was good in this world. How could he not be in love with Dan?

But he wasn't... Was he? No... Unless...

Nate figured that there would only be one way to settle this. He got up, grabbed his coat and headed out the door.

He'd visited Dan's loft once to pick him up before they went to a movie. He was surprised to find that it was particularly easy for him to remember exactly how to get there. What he didn't remember was how long of a ride it was. Did it always take forever to get to Dan's door? Nate doubted it.

Finally, he found himself standing in front of Dan's door, wondering whether or not he had the strength to do what he needed to do. Finally, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

A single moment of silence stretched into infinity as he heard faint footsteps approaching the door. Finally, it opened and a somber Dan Humphrey opened the door. His eyes went wide.

"Nate? I-"

"Shut up," Nate ordered breathlessly as he leaned in, closed his eyes, and kissed Dan.

Dan's body tensed up for a moment before he relaxed and got lost in their kiss. It felt really nice, Nate had to admit. It wasn't what he'd expected. To be honest, he wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it wasn't this... Finally he pulled away. Dan's eyes fluttered briefly. He cleared his throat.

"Um, what was that?"

"I don't know, I... I just knew I had to try that."

"And? How was it?"

"Not bad," Nate confessed.

Dan laughed.

"Well, that's good, I guess. So... what, now?"

Nate paused.

"I should probably go home," he muttered.

He suddenly realized he'd made a big mistake. Dan's smiled began to falter.

"Oh..."

'It's just that it's a school night," Nate pointed out.

'Yeah, sure."

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, okay," Dan muttered.

Nate waved lamely before he turned and walked away.

As he walked, he tried to figure out what was happening. While he knew he didn't feel love for Dan, he didn't understand what he did feel. He suddenly wished he hadn't kissed Dan until he knew more. What was going to happen? What was he going to say?

"Smooth move, Archibald," he muttered to himself as he climbed onto the train.


	8. Inglorious Bassterd

**Inglorious Bass-terd  
**

_"Revenge is a dish best served cold."  
_

Serena sat smiling as Blair, Chuck, and Jenny made their way to her table. Jenny looked uncomfortable. Blair and Chuck looked surprisingly smug. No doubt they'd just been badmouthing her. She didn't care, though. As long as Chuck played by the rules, there was no reason they couldn't all get along. All three sat down. Blair and Chuck stared at Serena.

"What?" she asked, "Do I have something on my face?"

"No," Blair answered simply, "Not even shame."

Jenny looked around and it was clear that she was confused. Serena was glad to see this. As much as she didn't know Jenny, she didn't like the idea that Blair and Chuck would turn Jenny against her like them.

"Shame? Why should I have shame?" she asked casually.

"Last summer," Chuck reminded her.

Was Chuck really doing this? They had an understanding. If he thought she wouldn't go public with her news, he was wrong. She would, if she had to. Still, nothing had actually been said, so she needed to play it cool.

"I don't recall-"

"Oh, I do. I think Mr. Henshaw would as well," he shot.

Jenny frowned.

"Who's Mr. Henshaw?" she asked.

"No interruptions!" Blair snapped, "And just so you know, Jenny, you're next!"

"Actually, I think Jenny should leave, don't you, Serena?"

She looked over at Jenny. As confused as she looked, Jenny appeared to appreciate the chance to leave.

"I'm sorry, Jenny. Chuck and I need to clear some things up."

Jenny nodded as she rose and gathered her things.

"Sure," she agreed, "Um, see you later, I guess."

"Count on it," Blair called callously as Jenny walked away.

"What is this?" she demanded, her voice shaking.

"Oh, it's exactly what you think it is, Serena," Blair informed her.

Serena inhaled slowly.

"Chuck, are we really going to do this?"

"We're not going to do anything," he stated coldly, "You are going to leave and never come back."

"Is that so?" she asked bravely, "You really want me to go public with your story?"

"Go ahead," Chuck laughed wickedly, "You can say all you want about my family. What I have to say about you is infinitely worse."

"Even worse than having parents who are cousins?" she retorted, casting a glance at Blair.

While she knew it was wrong to do it, she had to do something to wipe that self-righteous smirk off of Blair's face.

"My parents aren't..." she began.

Her eyes grew wide, her smile faded, and she looked at Chuck.

"No," she whispered.

Chuck snarled.

:"You bitch," he growled, "You fucking bitch!"

"You gave me no choice, Chuck-"

"The hell I didn't. Now everyone is going to know the truth about your little affair with Henshaw."

"Fine! See if I care-"

"Oh, I think you will," he spat, "See, as noble as you pretend to be, you're still nothing more than a commonplace whore."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is. You think this is just about you? Don't be so stupid," he growled, "This is about your child."

A tear fell down her cheek and she wiped it away immediately.

"So what if everyone knows I kept the child? I don't-"

"But your child might," Chuck warned her, "I am going to give you this once chance to back off. You can gather your things and leave school at once."

"And if I don't?"

"Then your child will know everything there is to know about you," he threatened, "And where he came from."

"You wouldn't."

Chuck stared back at her viciously.

"Wouldn't I?"

She swallowed hard as a few more tears made their way out.

"Save the tears, Serena," Blair jeered, "No one cares."

"Just like no one will care that you're bulimic?"

"Or that you lost your virginity to me?" Chuck chimed in.

She stared in horror at Chuck.

"Chuck!"

"You think you're so much better than me?" he demanded, "You're not. I saw that look in your eyes. If you think for one moment that you are better than I am, you're wrong. Don't forget your place!"

"I didn't-"

"So, Serena, what's it going to be? Are you going to leave once and for all or are we going to have to exchange unpleasantries?"

She cleared her throat.

"I just wanted things to go back to the way they were," she muttered.

"They're about to," Chuck stated as he looked away.

Serena looked at Blair, hoping for something, but this was in vain. Blair's eyes were fixed on Chuck, a look of utter disbelief in them.

Serena sniffled as she turned to walk away. She saw Nate sitting with some boy she didn't know. He looked a bit sullen. She hadn't talked to him much since she got back, but she hoped that Nate was still Nate. She walked over to him. He, and his friend, looked up.

"Serena? Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"Oh, Nate!" she cried out as the dam finally broke and the tears came.

He stood up and wrapped his arms around her. She cast a glance back at Chuck. His eyes were narrow, warning her to leave as soon as she could. It was clear: she had lost.


	9. An Affair to Forget

**An Affair to Forget**

As Serena walked away in defeat, Blair looked up at Chuck. His eyes were full of malice and victory. He sneered as he watched Serena.

"I can't believe you did that to me," she muttered, "Telling Serena-"

"Please, if anyone should be ashamed, it's me," he retorted, "You're hardly a conquest."

She gasped. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry, but the emotions were starting to build.

"How can you say that to me?" she asked sternly.

His eyes fell on her. There was no remorse or pity there, only disdain.

"It's true," he spat.

"Chuck, why-"

"You thought you could judge me?" he demanded, "You thought of everyone in the world _you _could judge _me_?"

"I would never judge you, Chuck! I-"

"You what? You love me?" he jeered, "You're even more pathetic than I thought."

She wiped away a tear as it trickled down her cheek. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This only seemed to perpetuate his cruelty.

"Tears, Blair? Really? You really want to make a scene right now?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Have you forgotten who I am? I'm Chuck Bass."

As she looked into his eyes, she finally understood what this meant. Sure, he'd said it before, but she never really appreciated exactly who Chuck Bass really was. He wasn't some handsome bad boy. He wasn't the rich boy-next-door. He was a cruel, calculating sociopath. Chuck controlled everyone around him through a web of manipulation and deceit. He saw no one as equal and no one was exempt from his methods of torture. This was who Chuck Bass really was.

"You're just like your father," she cried out angrily.

Chuck's lips pursed and his face turned to stone.

"At least my parents are people I can look up to," he retorted, "You have a basketcase of a mother and a flamboyant father. Who would want to be like either of them?"

Another tear fell down Blair's cheek. She was determined not to let him win.

"Say what you want; my parents love me. Can you say the same about yours?"

She knew this was a cruel subject to touch on, but she needed to let Chuck know exactly how serious this conversation was getting.

"Love is overrated," he advised her, "After all, you love me and it doesn't change how I feel about you."

"I don't love you-"

"You can lie to your parents about being a virgin and you can lie to Nate about what you did last winter, but you cannot lie to me. I know you inside and out."

"Is that so?"

"Just prove me wrong."

Blair composed herself. She was going to win.

"I could tell everyone," she threatened, "The truth about your parents."

"You don't have any proof-"

"I'll get Serena to tell me."

Chuck sneered.

"You're even stupider than I thought."

"Chuck-!"

"She isn't going to open her mouth. The only thing saving her child from a life of disappointment is this delicate balancing act we have. Face it, Blair. When it comes to choose sides, Serena will side with herself."

Blair knew he was right. She looked away.

"I'm going to do you a favour and forget you had this little outburst-"

"Outburst?" she echoed angrily, "This is more than just an outburst!"

"Fine, call it a tantrum," he teased mercilessly, "You had better hope that the next time I see you, I'm in a better mood."

"I don't care what kind of mood you're in," she told him defiantly, "I'm done with you."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"I know you better than that."

"I don't care if we slept together-"

"And neither do I, trust me. What I mean to say is that unless you want everyone else to know we slept together, while you were dating Nate, I might add, you are going to compose yourself and maintain dignity. Is that understood?"

Blair shook her head.

"I don't care. You can say what you want. If you do, I promise not to rest until I have ruined you."

"Do you really want to go down this path?"

She looked at him.

"We'll see who gets there first," she stated simply as she walked away.

She swallowed hard. She had no idea what she was going to do. She didn't have any proof that Serena's story was true. She didn't even know the whole story herself. As Blair walked away, she saw Serena crying into Nate's shoulder. It seemed like such a long time ago that worrying about Nate consumed her. She had more important things to worry about. She needed to figure out a way to free herself from Chuck Bass.

If Blair had even begun to wonder what happened to Jenny, she might have had time to prevent the events that eventually would tear her apart from Chuck... and everything else she held dear.


	10. Gossip Girl

**Gossip Girl**

"_Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality."_

Friday found Jenny sitting with Sarah in a quaint coffee shop in Brooklyn. While she didn't really have any free periods that morning, Sarah had said it was important. Given that her father could care less if she skipped class and that Dan was too preoccupied spending time with Nate, Jenny figuring skipping the morning couldn't be the worst thing. She was surprised to see Vanessa come out from the back.

"Oh, God," she muttered.

Sarah looked up.

"What is it?"

"It's this girl I know named Vanessa. She's friends with my brother, or at least she used to be. Don't look up, she might come over here."

Much to Jenny's dismay, she came right over and sat down. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at Sarah. Jenny was surprised that this did not seem to faze Sarah.

"Um, Vanessa, what are you-?"

"It's fine, Jenny," Sarah assured her, "I invited Vanessa."

"Invited her? How do you even know her?"

"Yes, Georgina, how is it that we know each other?"

"... Georgina? What are you talking about?"

Vanessa looked from Jenny to Sarah.

"Oh, so you haven't told her who you are yet?"

Sarah smiled to herself.

"I was waiting."

Jenny frowned. Had everyone gone crazy?

"What's going on?" she asked cautiously.

Sarah/Georgina looked at her and smiled.

"Jenny, I have to thank you. You've really been instrumental in everything."

"Everything? What's going on, Sarah?"

"Vanessa was right," she commented, "It is Georgina."

"I don't understand."

"I was once a student at Constance. Did I tell you that?"

"No..."

"I was, and when I was there, there was a group of really mean kids who made my life a living hell. Can you guess what their names are?"

Jenny felt the colour fade form her cheek. What was this? Georgina smiled, staring off into space.

"That's right, their names were Chuck Bass, Blair Waldorf, Serena van der Woodsen, and Nate Archibald. They were an awful bunch of spoiled brats who thought they owned the world."

"Vanessa, what's-"

"Anyway, to say the least, the last two years have been miserable thanks to them. I've been to boarding school, reform school, you name it. Finally, an opportunity presented itself and I was able to come back to the city without anyone knowing."

Jenny stood up.

"What's going on?" she demanded, panicking.

Georgina smiled.

"Sweetie, sit down. I'll explain everything in a moment."

Jenny looked at Vanessa. She sighed as she nodded. While Jenny didn't know Vanessa very well, she was inclined to take her advice. Vanessa may have been a freak, but she wasn't stupid.

"Upon my return, I swore to myself that I would make Chuck, Blair, Nate, and Serena pay for everything they had done to me. Then I met you and Vanessa."

Vanessa looked away.

"Vanessa with her tech savvy and reporting skills was able to help me design the medium I needed in order to branch out into a new world."

"What do you mean?"

"You supplied the information," she continued, as though Jenny had said nothing, "While you didn't know the details, you knew enough to set my research in the right direction. Then, as luck would have it, Chuck Bass called. He wanted my help. He almost ruined things, too, but I managed to smooth them over."

"Smooth them over?"

"Let's just say I sent Chuck in a new direction. I told him exactly what he wanted to know: the truth about Serena's absence. Once he knew the whole story, he backed off. That gave me time to look into him. I knew why Serena had left, but I was curious as to why she came back. After all, anyone being blackmailed by Chuck Bass ought to know better than that."

Jenny had to agree. She was still uneasy about everything.

"Eventually, I found out what Serena knew and everything came together. Tie that in with the bits of gossip I had on Blair, and I was ready."

"You said something about Nate," Jenny reminded her.

She felt a pit in her stomach. Nate was Dan's friend. What if something happened to Dan?

"Don't worry. Vanessa pleaded the case. In order to spare your brother, Nate won't be touched. Consider it a thank you for the work both of you have done."

"What exactly have we done?" Jenny demanded.

"You helped me. I now have everything I need in order to start a new world, free of the oppressive reign of Blair and Chuck."

"How? What are you going to do, Georgina?"

Vanessa pulled out her laptop. Georgina smiled.

"I'm about to broadcast the truth about Blair, Chuck, and Serena to everyone in the school with a cellular phone."

"How?"

"I've created a website of sorts. The purpose of this site is to spread gossip about students, namely, Blair, Chuck, and Serena."

Jenny shifted.

"But they'll know it was us-"

"It won't matter. By the time this message has been sent out and read, no one will want anything to do with them. They'll be social lepers."

"We don't have proof, though-"

"I do," Georgina assured her, "Besides, the students at Constance don't want truth, they want to see Blair fall. They want to see Chuck cast out. And they want to see Serena burn. Those three have been on top for way too long."

"But they'll know it was us-"

"Say they did," Georgina shot angrily, "What are they going to do to us that they haven't already? You told me about that video they made of you. How can you let them get away with this? You owe it to yourself to get back at them!"

"Video? Jenny, what-?"

"Nothing," Jenny snapped.

She glared at Georgina furiously. How dare she bring that up!

"You can be mad at me all you want, Jenny, but we deserve to be the ones who bring them down. They've hurt us the most. And when Nate sees his former friends fall, he'll abandon Dan. Just like we talked about Vanessa. Trust me, I know Nate."

Vanessa looked away.

"You wanted to do this?"

"I had no choice... I was out of my element..."

Jenny scoffed.

"Don't worry, Jenny. We're not the only ones who'll benefit from this. You will, too."

"How? By having a vengeful Blair stalk me for the rest of the year?"

"Blair won't be able to come anywhere near you... Not after I'm done with you."

Jenny's eyes went wide.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You didn't think I was going to leave you out, did you?"

"Georgina, I didn't-"

Georgina smiled.

"Calm down. I mean, I want to help you. After everything that has happened, you deserve to prosper. I'm going to help."

"How?"

"I'm leaving you the keys to the kingdom."

"The keys to the kingdom?"

"The monarchy is about to be shaken. Someone will need to emerge as the new Queen once the dust settles. I have some friends who can help you accomplish that."

"Me? Queen? A freshman from Brooklyn?"

"Not just any freshman. You're Jenny Humphrey. Don't forget that."

Jenny tried to understand what was happening. She was about to screw over the people who had hurt her the most and in return, she was going to get everything she could want. It almost seemed too good to be true.

"What do you want in return?" she asked darkly.

"Nothing It's all for you."

"Is that so?"

"Just do me a favour. If anyone asks, we never met. You don't know me, I don't know you. How does that sound?"

"So... this was all me?"

"No one will find out, Jenny, I promise. Just make sure no one ever knows there is a connection, and we're even."

Much to her better judgment, Jenny saw this to be a very simple plan. It was eerie how serene Georgina suddenly seemed. Still, Jenny could never hope for such a bright future without her help, without going along with the plan.

"Fine," she finally agreed, "I'm on board. Now what?"

Vanessa looked from Jenny to Georgina and sighed.

"The site is ready. All I have to do is send the link to the website and we're in business."

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

Several seconds later, Jenny's phone rang. The link that showed up in the text message changed Jenny's world forever...


End file.
